


Almost

by titaniumsansa



Series: A Softer World [14]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: A softer world - Freeform, Coffee, Dorks in Love, Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/F, Friendship/Love, Gay, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idiots in Love, Inspired By A Softer World, Love, Love Confessions, Oneshot, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, not spitfire or chalant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 23:16:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14681502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/titaniumsansa/pseuds/titaniumsansa
Summary: Zatanna saves Artemis before she can fake her death on the beach. They need to talk, but first they're getting coffee.





	Almost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunkelles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkelles/gifts).



> AN: I do not own anything. Shout out to Jones berry lemonade soda-the thing I drank while writing this. Which is ironic because I only mentioned coffee in this. Lmao.  
> Prompt: If you died, I’d go through hell to bring you back. That would be easy. I’m just not sure how to deal with us drifting apart. (yhtapa drol krad ruo)

“I’m gonna be a call away, if you need anything,” Zatanna tells M’gann and she nods. The mission is important, but they’re both happy to see Artemis back on the Team. Still, part of Zatanna thinks something will go wrong, it’s just a feeling, but she listens to it.

The next time she sees M’gann is when Dick is leaning over Artemis, blood on her chest, doing CPR. The words she says cause Artemis to breathe deeply, whatever wound she has should be closed, and she coughs for a minute.

“Oh thank god, oh thank god I called you,” M’gann thinks and Zatanna can’t help but let out her own sigh of relief. Artemis stares at her with something she can’t name, but their mission failed-the rocket blew up. There’s a lot to unpack and dissect, but Zatanna hugs Artemis tightly. She doesn’t see the looks Artemis exchanges with Dick over her shoulder, she just holds her for a moment.

“I’d lose it if you died,” Zatanna confesses, eyes closed. Artemis stiffens but Zatanna’s pretty sure it’s been too long of a hug and she wants her to let go. As they head back to the Cave to do the mission report, Zatanna thinks of what could have happened. Artemis, dead, making red sand under her-eyes glassy-looking up at stars she would never see again. Or worse, turned and looking at just the sand or the dark pulse of the sea-waiting for help that would never come. Zatanna shivers and she catches Dick’s eye. They both look at Artemis and Zatanna relaxes.  

She’s not sure if Artemis would become a ghost-Jason didn’t-but she doesn’t know all of the rules for that. She imagines sitting in Shadowcrest-trying to find anything that might tell her she could bring Artemis back. She’d go through hell for her-without question. They’ve both been busy-work and school and the League and Team. Still, she knows she would find a way. The drifting apart seems like a harder problem to deal with honestly-there aren’t grimoires and spells for that.

* * *

 

“Hey, I know you’re busy but do you want to grab coffee and talk tonight?” Zatanna asks and Artemis has raised eyebrows and wide eyes. She looks like she got caught in headlights-and Zatanna spies Dick walking up to them.

“I actually-” Artemis begins and Dick interrupts.

“We’d love that,” Dick says and Zatanna hopes she gets an explanation soon. They end up in Happy Harbor still, one of the only twenty four hour coffee places isn’t that far from the Cave. Zatanna wonders if they keep them in business-especially Tim. That’s a question for another day, Zatanna thinks as she follows them in. They all order coffee and wait. There’s something wrong, she knows it.

“We were planning on faking my death tonight. We didn’t know M’gann would call you,” Artemis says and Zatanna shakes her head.

“Why?” she asks. It’s the only word that comes out, the only thing she can think of. They haven’t been close lately-but she was going to tell Artemis what she should have told her years ago. She loves her-and it’s okay if she doesn’t feel the same way. She just wants her to know-no strings attached. Their names get called for coffee and the conversation stops for a moment. Between sips and interjections-she finds the truth-Kaldur is undercover, Artemis is supposed to join him-and fake her death.

“If you tell the original team, we’re not going to grieve and you won’t put us through that. Most of the new Team members don’t know you that well-it would be easier that way. Then you can say you’re busy at school-and we can have M’gann impersonate you. Or I could come up with some magic for you,” Zatanna tells them and Dick takes a familiar necklace out of his coat.

“I thought that was for you or Barbara. Why didn’t you tell me?” Zatanna asks. Dick shrugs.

“You didn’t ask,” he answers and she rolls her eyes at him. She’s trying her best to not show how much it hurt to be excluded from this plan. She’s still on call for the next few hours so she sips more of her coffee as she thinks.

“Did you have something you wanted to talk about?” Artemis asks. Zatanna glances at Dick.

“Later, with just us,” Zatanna tells her. She’s not letting this ruin them or let them drift apart. Dick’s phone beeps after a few more minutes of planning-they see the benefit to her plan.

“That’s Barbara-I should go,” Dick excuses, slipping out of the booth. They’ll see him tomorrow before they see Artemis off.

“What did you want to say?” Artemis asks, meeting her eyes. Zatanna does her best not to blink.

“I couldn’t breathe when I thought you were dead. I was so relieved to have you back that I realized something. I just need to get this out-I don’t expect anything in return and I just want to be truthful. I’m in love with you. And I just don’t want anything between us-and I never wanted to make it awkward-because you’re one of my best friends. But seeing you on the beach-I couldn’t stand the thought of not telling you after that,” Zatanna admits, and Artemis looks like she’s frozen solid. There’s no expression on her face, no tense body language, she’s just frozen still.

“Mis? Say something,” Zatanna asks nervously, wondering if she should have just kept her mouth shut and let the feelings stay bottled.

“I thought you were in love with-I’m in love with you too. I’ve been so worried I was going to just tell you that I haven’t been around,” Artemis says and Zatanna relaxes back into the plush cushioning of the booth.

“So, we’re okay? And you’re leaving tomorrow?” Zatanna asks and Artemis grins.

“We’ve got time between now and tomorrow night,” Artemis reminds her and Zatanna grins too. They can order more coffee and stay in the quiet booth in the back, and just talk after so long. Zatanna can’t think of a better way to end the day.


End file.
